“Momentum”

29-6-2026

This issue includes reports, videos, news, articles, and a full coverage of the latest developments of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), as well as the Church, Ecumenical, and social events…

This is in addition to the weekly word of the MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs which is entitled in this issue “Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul: A Witness of Struggle and a Mission of Unity”.

You can check the issue via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/6310bbc705bd/momentum-mecc-weekly-newsletter.

You can also subscribe to the Momentum Newsletter via the following link:
https://mecc.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?id=fd3381352a&u=1db32cafe9ea32b38eb90480a.

Professor Michel Abs

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

With the gentle breeze of June twenty-nine, the Feast of the Foundation of the See of Antioch, our hearts stand in reverence before the icon of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Today we do not merely commemorate a historical event; rather, we encounter two brothers who have gone before us on the journey of faith, still inviting each one of us: "Follow me, as we followed Christ."

On the twenty-ninth of June each year, the Churches of East and West lift up their prayers in celebration of the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. These two pillars of the early Church sealed their lives with martyrdom in Rome, becoming together an enduring symbol of the unity of the Church's mission despite the diversity of their paths, and of the unity of faith amid the richness of different gifts.

Peter, the fisherman from Galilee, was the "rock" upon which Christ built His Church. His zeal was sincere, his fear deeply human, and his repentance profound. After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he stood before the crowds in Jerusalem proclaiming the Resurrection, and about three thousand souls came to faith through his preaching. Thereafter he journeyed from city to city, strengthening believers and establishing Christian communities. According to the tradition of the Church, he eventually reached Rome, then the capital of the world, where he became its first bishop. There he surrendered his life, crucified upside down, considering himself unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

Peter teaches us that holiness does not begin with perfection but with repentance. The Lord did not reject His disciple after his denial; instead, He asked him three times, "Do you love me?" and then entrusted him with the care of His flock. Peter continues to whisper to the Church today: Rise, love, and shepherd. True pastoral ministry begins not with flawlessness but with a heart transformed by mercy.

Paul, the Apostle to the Nations, experienced one of the greatest miracles of divine grace. Once a persecutor of Christians, he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, and his entire life was transformed. From that moment onward, he devoted himself to proclaiming the Gospel throughout the known world, founding churches wherever he went. Through his fourteen epistles, he articulated the Church's theology of grace, redemption, and the one Body of Christ, becoming a teacher for all generations…

On the occasion of the Yearly Anniversary of the Enthronement of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I as Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia, the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs, on behalf of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) family, extends his sincerest congratulations and best wishes to His Holiness, who is the Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). He prays to God to grant him health and strength, to bless his pastoral service, and to support him in his spiritual mission, so that he may continue his service to the Church of Christ.

The Middle East Council of Churches also prays to God on this blessed occasion, asking that He may pour out His abundant graces upon His Holiness, grant him the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in leading the Church on the path of salvation in the name of Jesus Christ, and that he may remain an example of love, generosity, and dedication, wishing him many more years filled with goodness, blessing, and holiness.

The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs

Participates in the Book Signing Ceremony for "One Hundred Years of Apostolic Work of the Missionary Society of Saint Paul"

With the blessing and presence of His Beatitude Patriarch Joseph Absi, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and on the occasion of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Missionary Society of Saint Paul in Lebanon held a book signing ceremony for "One Hundred Years of Apostolic Work of the Missionary Society of Saint Paul," prepared and authored by Dr. Wissam Kabkab, with his two books, "1724: Union or Separation" and "Bishop Cyril Moghabghab: The Builder Bishop and Godfather of the State of Greater Lebanon," published by the Paulist Library.

Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah Installed as Pastor of the National Evangelical Church in Beirut

And President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon

The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Participates in the Installation Service

Reverend Dr. Habib Badr: “After 41 years, I hand over the responsibility, marking the beginning of a new chapter of renewal and continuity”

The National Evangelical Church in Beirut held the Installation Service of Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah as its ordained Senior Pastor, consecrated for ministry under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The celebration was attended by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, and his wife Dr. Frida Haddad Abs; Reverend Wilbert Van Saane, Reverend Rima's husband, and their family; alongside many Pastors, including Reverend Dr. Uwe Gräbe, Head of the Middle East Unit of the Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS), Ms. Kirsten Auken, Regional Director of Danmission in the Middle East, Directors of institutions affiliated with the National Evangelical Church, Coordinator of Church Relations and Media at MECC Lea Adel Maamary, Members of the Church Board of Elders, and believers.

The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs Participates in the Celebration

In recognition of their distinguished journey and many years of Church ministry, a ceremony was held to honor Reverend Dr. Habib Badr, President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and his wife Mrs. Wadia Badr. The event was attended by Leaders from Evangelical Churches in the Middle East, Representatives of Church Families, Ecumenical Partners, His Eminence Archbishop Mor Clemis Daniel Kourieh, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut, and Delegate of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) to the Diakonia and Social Service Department, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, and his wife Dr. Frida Haddad. It took place on Friday, June 26, 2026, at the National Evangelical Church in Beirut.

As part of its ongoing efforts to support students in continuing their academic achievement, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), through its Diakonia and Social Service Department – Syria’s Office, implemented remedial classes for 9th grade certificate students in the city of Jaramana and its surrounding areas.

The remedial classes included providing students with the essential information they need in their curriculum, with the aim of improving their academic level and enabling them to successfully pass the final certificate exam. The students also received hygiene and school kits.